Odile Souchet has landed her dream job at the American Library in Paris just before it is taken over by the Nazi occupation. As the city she calls home changes rapidly, it is up to her and her fellow librarians to keep the library going, even hand delivering books to those patrons who are Jewish and in hiding.

Lily lives in rural Montana where circumstances within her family cause her to seek solitude elsewhere – with her reclusive neighbor Odile. In Odile, Lily finds acceptance and calm, and a library of books that help soothe her pain and angst.

I really wanted to love this book given it is historical fiction and was about a library, but struggled with it. Odile is the more interesting character, but she becomes so grouchy and takes offense so often it is hard to understand her. Lily grows on one a little, but wasn't particularly interesting and felt unnecessary to the story. I focused on the history which was interesting and gave me a snippet of the time. There is a lot said about the Library of Paris itself inside and the patrons are well drawn as well - each with their own quirky personalities that I really enjoyed, but given it takes place in Paris I was surprised not have very much described of the city.

Overall, it was not badly written, but just not strongly written enough to grab me with a lot of sub-plots thrown in that I think took away from character development. I did however learn about the library during the occupation which was interesting.

My thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I know my review is way overdue, but I loved this book. My favorite genre is historial fiction. Anything WWII related I’m always excited to read and well let me just say that The Paris Library did not disappoint. I loved this one. It’s a story of friendship, family, loss, but above all it’s a story of courage. You will feel so much for the characters. I definitely laughed and cried with them. The characters were very well developed and I loved all the vivid descriptions and traveling back in time with was the best part. As heartbreaking as it was, if you’re into history fiction this one is a must read.

Thank you so much Atria Books | Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

I read The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles at the request of the publisher, Atria Books, a branch of Simon and Schuster, in exchange for an honest review. Based on the true story of several librarians at the American Library in Paris, it tells the fictional story of Odile Souchet, a young woman who, against her father’s wishes, takes a job as a librarian.

The librarians participated in the French Resistance in ways I never realized. Against the “rules” of the German occupiers, they smuggled books to Jewish people who were no longer allowed to enter the library. They also smuggled books to Allies who had been taken as prisoners of war, and protected valuable documents and rare books from being destroyed.

Although harassed and threatened by the Gestapo, the head librarian, Dorothy Reeder, an American ex-pat, was determined to keep the library open to the public, despite the Germans’ threats. At the end of the book, information is provided on what happened to Ms. Reeder, and the other real librarians after the war, and how they carried on their work.

The story follows Odile, who married an American serviceman after the war, and moved to the small town of Froid, Montana, and is told in alternating time frames of Odile’s life in Paris, and her time as a widow in Montana.

As Odile discussed books with the other characters, I was reminded of many books I have always wanted to read, but somehow never found the time. She gave me a list of books to seek out for my own reading pleasure and education.

The Paris Library, is an important book for history lovers and book lovers alike. It certainly added to my understanding of the personal experiences of everyday people when war arrives on their doorsteps. There are some atrocities described, but not graphically. There is love, betrayal, friendship, family, teenage angst, and lots of history. This is another book you have to read.

What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?

Very little: one redundancy, a few missing commas, and a few split infinitives.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those stories that stays with you, long after you've finished. I couldn't help falling in love with the characters, with their world, as sad as it was at times. Much like Odile and Margaret, I feel like I found a home at The American Library in Paris. This is a story of books and libraries, family and friendship, impossibly hard times and impossible decisions.

I have loved Paris from the moment I stepped foot in the city. Charles seemed to bring that lovely city to life effortlessly. I haven't been to all the spots Odile and her friends frequented but I recognized enough to feel like I was walking the streets with her.

It was a pleasure to watch all the characters grow and change. They were beautifully unique and clearly had their own personalities. The relationship between Odile and Lily was like a slow-blooming flower and I enjoyed every moment of it. My only real criticism is that I found the few chapters from other perspectives (not Odile or Lily) to be rather unnecessary. I would've preferred them to not be there at all, or to have more chapters from other perspectives. The randomness of it was a little jarring.

Libraries and librarians are wonderful and seem to be sadly underappreciated these days. I will be forever grateful that Janet Skeslien Charles took the time to tell this story. From what I understand, there are many true details woven throughout this narrative. The courage of Miss Reeder, the determination of the Countess, the quiet strength of Boris, they deserve to have their stories told. Thank you for giving them a voice.

I will recommend this book to everyone!

Called the “war bride” by the ladies who gather after mass, Odile is seventh-grade Lily’s neighbor, and not very ‘bride like’ at all to Lily’s way of thinking. Not particularly friendly or outgoing, Lily is insatiably curious about her – and wants to know more. Making her own purpose for visiting with Odile, Lily soon finds everything about her fascinating: from her refusal to discuss her past (unlike everyone in town), her self-sufficiency, her clothing and even her ‘Frenchness’.

Odile ran from Paris just after the war, marrying a GI she met at the American Hospital in Paris, leaving behind her family, friends, beloved library and much more. Shamed by her reckless tongue and the loss of so many, she’s lived a life of penance: a belt from a former friend, letters of vitriol, cut off from all friends of her time in Paris, but following news of them as closely as possible. Having lost both her husband and son, she’s got little to look forward to until Lily and her family need her.

Told in two alternating points of view: Odile and Lily, over two different six to seven year spans, the past history of Odile is revealed as we see Lily struggle with many of the same issues: growing up and finding your way is not really all that different –only places and circumstances are. While revealing the work done in Paris during the Occupation, and the staff and volunteers at the American Library of Paris managed to keep the doors open, arranged secret deliveries to those newly vilified under German rule, and shared strength, worry and struggles. As Lily is experiencing the loss of her mother, her father’s remarriage, struggles with a bully at school and her best friend’s moving forward in popularity and life experience without her: Lily is learning lessons from Odile in French, as well as life. Not only is the story impeccably researched, but both Lily and Odile, even in their most horrible moments, are clearly drawn and depicted, and connection with them both on an emotional level is easy. Discovering yet another group of dedicated people: Parisiennes and not, educated, determined and defending the library and her books was a treat – and reminded me of the Monuments Men who recovered stolen treasures. From family to personal struggles, shames, mistakes and guilts: the grief, anger and actions are clearly depicted, and even more clearly understandable, if not quite justified. I whipped through this book in a few short hours, lingering over passages, the insertions of Dewey Decimal references and creation for books, classics and others, that simply made my fingers want to dance through a card catalog again. History buff, fan of friendships across generations, or simply a book lover – this story strikes many chords and was a favorite read for all that and more.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aIC/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I really enjoyed this historical novel. First it takes place at the American Library in Paris. Ollie gets her dream job as a Periodical Librarian there. She quickly makes life long friends and they join together to save as many precious books from the Nazi looters. As their cherished Jewish patrons are forced into home seclusion she and others risk their lives to deliver books to them. Slowly they disappear and Ollie turns to her Police chief father for answers. This novel has harrowing situations that are fraught with betrayal. A marvelous coming into adulthood, where our choices are our own. Thanks to Netgallery and Astra books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I received a digital advance readers’ copy of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles from the publisher (Atria Books) in exchange for an honest review. The Paris Library is scheduled for release on February 2, 2021.

The Paris Library is a dual-time novel. We start in the 1980s, following teenage Lily in Montana as she begins to interact with her elderly neighbor in an attempt to escape the difficulties her family is facing. The elderly neighbor turns out to be Odile, who we follow back in time to Paris in 1939. In 1939, Odile was a young lady, trying to balance her desire for a career in the library with the expectations of her family that she settle down.

Odile’s story is really the focus of the novel. While it is framed by the more modern events, the bulk of our time is spent in the past, living through the war with Odile. Like Odile, we get to know the patrons of the library, and feel for them as some are chased first out of the library, then into labor camps or worse. As a result of all the time spent with Odile, we get to know her fairly well.

The modern Montana story is less well-developed. Transported in time, Odile feels flat. This may be because not enough time was spent in this part of the story for us to get to know any of the characters. I wasn’t even confident in Lily’s age until the end of the novel. While I’m sure Charles gave us that information early in the novel, we spent so much time away from her that she never solidified for me.

Since Lily and her family remain unclear, Odile’s responses to them don’t seem to resonate. I am used to stories that follow a dual timeline to have features that are shared in the two times. I struggled to find that with this novel. While Odile and Lily were both facing personal troubles and hardships, they did not seem to echo each other. In the end, I felt like we didn’t need Lily and her story. It felt like an unnecessary layer that took time away from the primary story.

Like many novels set during war, The Paris Library opened up a window to a sliver of the big story that I was unfamiliar with, the determination of libraries to remain open and serve all patrons. I do wish the novel had kept the focus there, however, rather than trying to frame it in a more modern tale.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  Yet thinking about a review revealed how complex the themes are, just as the Dewey Decimal System is (which is referenced quite often in the book).

Let’s begin with the library itself, 082 General Collections in English.  The American Library in Paris is Europe’s largest English-language lending library, which began as a means to supply American troops with reading material during World War I.  The library’s motto:

atrum post bellum, ex libris lux
after the darkness of war, the light of books

After the war, the library continued as a lending library for American expatriates, some of whom you may recognize (Edith Wharton. Ernest Hemingway, Thornton Wilder, Stephen Vincent Benét).

During World War II and the German occupation, the library’s directoress, Dorothy Reeder, was determined that the library would not close.  The windows were covered with paper, the library stocked up on gas masks, and French Jews who were no longer able to visit the library had books delivered to their homes.  While Reeder insisted her staff return to their homes for safety, she continued to man the library along with a handful of staff.  While other libraries were closed, the library remained “an open window on the free world.”

On to the next Dewey Decimal category, 302 Social Interaction.  One of the main storytellers is Odile, a young librarian who finds a great mentor in Dorothy Reeder.  Reeder's guidance allows Odile to learn her own life lessons by searching her heart.  Odile begins her story during World War II, detailing how within the library’s walls friendships are formed, romance blossoms, everyday people become heroes and some show the darkness in their hearts.

We now meet teen-aged Lily, Odile’s neighbor in Froid, Montana, during the 1980’s.  Lily is also a bibliophile, and while the two don’t get along at first, their relationship will profoundly change both of them.  Over the years, alone and together, the two will face life’s greatest challenges such as grief, loneliness, jealousy, deception and betrayal, as well as finding courage to do the right thing.  Just as Reeder had guided Odile many years before, Odile will guide Lily to search her heart, bringing us to Dewey's 126 The Self. 

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The book’s themes are complex, yet the stories are told effortlessly.  While much of the backdrop is World War II, the book’s focus is really on relationships.  I enjoyed every minute of reading.

This was the most beautiful historical fiction I’ve read in a while. Not only did it inspire me to research more on the American Library in Paris, but Odile’s character is well-developed across the time hops.

Emotions run high as WWII develops across the novel, spiraling everyday Parisian life into the wartime zone. Odile is faced with challenge regarding family, love, friendship, morals, and bravery. How do the choices she make impact the future?

I highly recommend this book to everyone who adores historical fiction. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

An excellent, engaging read. One I will be recommending to many. I thought the writing was fantastic, and I look forward to reading more books by this author. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to review.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a very well written story based on true events. This story brings “a little-known chapter of WWII history: the story of the American librarian, Miss Reeder, who created the Soldiers’ Service to deliver books to servicemen, and who went up against the enemy in order to keep her library open. She and her colleagues defied the rules of the German occupation by delivering books to Jewish readers after they were forbidden from entering the library.

Ms. Charles has created this novel in parallel stories: one story in Paris during WWII (1939) and the second in Montana in the eighties. The main character Odile Gustafson has just started working as a librarian at the American Library. When Europe enters the war against Germany, requests for magazines and books from soldiers pour in. The library and all of it’s librarians dedicate themselves to fulfilling this need.

This story is a captivating and enlightening. The story is about Paris, The American Library, WWII, Jews, loss, love, friendships, hardships, family, courage, strong emotions, and many life altering situations that are very deep. The answers to these situations are presented in a way that there is no black and white answers. Therefore, the reader can decide for themselves.

I believe the part of the wonderment of this book, at least for me, is that book lovers will understand the librarians passion for books and their risks to save them. You will find yourself laughing, crying and yes, you will feel anger. The characters are well developed. The settings are so well created that you can see the Library, Paris and Montana. Well Done. I can’t wait to see what you do next.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Paris Library was such a different book, and a unique perspective on life during World War 2. I liked the differing times, Montana in the 1980s and the time during the war in Paris. The American Library in Paris was such a wonderful character on its own, and I could feel myself there. Odile was such a wonderful character, and I loved that I got to follow her life, and I immensely enjoyed her friendship with Lily. Such a wonderful, exciting, heartwarming book.

4 out of 5 stars for The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

WOW! This is the first word that came to mind after reading this beautiful book. It became such an obsession, I immediately had to read it again. This story consumed me. I loved how the writing pulled me into Odile's world and I didn't want to leave her. Her character was so relatable even though the story took place in a time period way before my time. This was my grandparents' generation and I couldn't help but wonder if their story was similar to Odile's. This book deserves all the stars and more.

Brilliantly written.

I was first attracted to this book because of the unique friendship between Odile and Lily. I also wanted to learn more about Paris during WW2, and what the people living there went through and how they overcame the challenges of everyday life. I was also curious about the American Library.

I was quickly drawn into the story and enjoyed learning about both Odile and Lily’s lives. There were a lot of twists to the story that I didn’t expect. I admired Odile’s strength and how no matter what was thrown in her path, she stood strong to her beliefs and followed her dreams. The one thing that took me by surprise was how she ended up in Montana. When Lily’s curiosity led her to Odile’s house, I was also surprised how close they became and the secrets they shared.

The author did a fantastic job writing this book. It is one that I won’t soon forget. It was entertaining and educational. It’s a story about friendships, family, finding love and the love of books.

This was a really great read, and a different twist on a WWII story. The Paris Library takes place in two different time frames Paris 1939, and Montana 1983.
Odile Souchet, is our main character along with many other great people who we meet throughout.
The Author herself, in 2010 worked as the programs manager at the American Library in Paris, where she heard stories of what happened during WWII, and about some of the real life people who would frequent, and work at the library.
This is about a library that sent books to servicemen, during the war, sneaked books to their subscribers who were no longer allowed to visit the library, because they would be persecuted, and it always provided a place where people would feel welcome and feel some sort of normalcy in their lives. They did everything they could to not close their doors during the war.
It talks about the Dewey decimal system of filing books, the love, people have for books and the relationships of the people who worked there, but also it questions who they were, did they help or hinder each other, were they who they said they were.
It was fun to figure out a couple of the mysteries, and sad to see what was happening once the Nazis invaded and started isolating the Jewish people and foreigners that lived in Paris, getting the french police to hand over the Jewish citizens to them.
When older Odile is living in Montana, a neighbors daughter, Lilly befriends her.
Lilly wants to know about Odiles life in France, and asks her if she could also teach her to speak French. Through this friendship, we find out more about the rest of Odiles life in France, and also about what is was like for her to live in a remote town in the USA.
Once again, a great read. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria books for a copy of this book.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

This book takes place in 1980's Montana and Paris during World War II. While I have read many books taking place in Paris during the war this one had different take and focused on the workers at the American Library in Paris and how it remained open throughout the German occupation. The story intertwines a teenager during the war who worked at the library as well as teenager in 1980's Montana.

Parts are heartbreaking as you would expect from a war book, but the focus is on the relationships as opposed to the atrocities of the war.

If world war II fiction is an interest, then I found definitely recommend this book.

I was drawn to this book because it was a bout a library, and I was not disappointed. The book is told in a duel timeline, from several points of view. It is masterfully written and while it is about WW2, it never felt hopeless.
The flashback timeline follows Odile as an early adult, trying to navigate through finding independence while still holding tight to those she loves. And then we follow Lily, who is trying to navigate her teen years, in 1980 and is captivated by Paris, and the neighbor next door. When Lily goes over to ask Odile for help with a school report on Paris, she unknowingly changes both of their lives.
An amazing read, and definitely one I will be recommending to all my friends.

Paris, 1938; Odile Souchet is applying for a job as a librarian at the American Library in Paris. She gets the job, but then Paris is getting occupied by the Nazi's. Everything in the library is unsure now, especially because the librarians also serve Jewish readers. Together with the other librarians, Odile finds herself in a secret form of resistance. Their weapons are books. They keep their books the Nazi's don't like, and they keep delivering books to their Jewish clients. But then slowly on, Odile finds out that people very close to her are on the wrong side, and finds out about their horrible betrayal..

Later on, in 1983, Odile lives in Montana, USA. She is widowed and lives alone. She doesn't have many contacts in the small town she lives in, untill one day her neighbor girl Lily rings her doorbell, as Lily is looking for adventure in small-town Montana.s Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them...

This is a beautiful written book, perfect for anyone who love historical fiction, libraries and Paris as a backdrop. The book is written in two POV's, Odile and Lily's, with Odile's part being the largest. The book is based on the true story of the heroic librarians of the American Library in Paris, which still exists today, during the Nazi occupation of Paris. The
story of Odile was just amazing. It was just so heroic of her and the other librarians how they fought to keep the library open as a resistance, and how they kept delivering books
to readers, and smuggled books to the checkpoints, even when threatening letters on the library are made, you can just imagine how it would have been during that horrible period. The author obviously did wonderful research on this book! The character’s in the historical segment of the novel had greater depth (they were based on real people) than those in the modern part.
Overall, this is a beautiful book that I truly recommend reading!

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles is a fascinating historical fiction piece focused on the American Library in Paris. I always appreciate a historical piece that exposes me to new pieces of history, and this was definitely that! This is story of how books played a central role in the resistance primarily focused on the story of a young library named Odile. In addition to telling the story of this past experience, this also includes a storyline in 1983. Lily doesn't understand her older neighbor. She seems to be hiding something, and Lily is a curious teenager who just wants to know more. She decides to do a school project on her, so she has to share her story. As you might infer, this neighbor has connections to the library. It's not revealed just what those connections are, so part of the captivating nature of this story is learning more about her through Lily's research. The past and (sort of) present have really emotional and compelling stories. I was so drawn into Odile and Lily's pieces of the story. In the past, it was so incredible to read how the library remained dedicated to sharing knowledge and truth even when it was dangerous. In the present, Lily is navigating so much "stuff" in addition to learning more about her neighbor, and I was so emotionally drawn into her reality. This was just a beautiful read in its characters and storytelling. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this February 2021 (Whoa, I did not realize publication was so far away!). Way, way in the future, this is a book you'll absolutely want to check out.

Janet Charles' The Paris Library offers a fictionalized portrait of The American Library in Paris during World War II. The novel shifts forward and backward between World War II Paris and small-town Montana in the 1980s. While the history of The American Library is interesting and worthy of a fictional treatment, the book fails to recreate the atmosphere of the 1940s. For example, the presence of the Germans is minimal and mostly non-threatening. The protagonist, Odile--by all accounts a French nationalist--somehow manages to overcome the fact that her love interest is arresting Jews while becoming deeply distraught over the fate of collaborating women in the immediate aftermath of the war. Within the artificial world of the story, none of this seems particularly strange. However, that is precisely the problem: Charles' world feels artificial. Fortunately, the Montana portions of the book feel more authentic and Odile, then an old woman, feels similarly improved. All in all, the book is uneven and underdeveloped, but competently written and something of a page-turner.